The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1887-06-06
THE LIVING QUESTION.

'G-EH.nEnHT - SkASc .#H -EI
Some one pushes forward the problem
Of human life and Gays to these savan.s o
science, "soive that problem: WhyGm I
Why have l a place il this wcrld2 VIII,
have l been inside sg l Gm, n strange com
plication Of spirit and matter, and not NJ
unconscious star? Why am La man ant
not q brute, a living soul and not a ssnss
less etoneP Will you tell me that eciepct
can Yrastle With problems more lTportsn'
to me than those l PRESENT. The solution
Of no mystery can be oue-millionth par
the concern to me that the solution Of the
problem OF my own existence is.
By an allowable atrsin on tho text til:
made 10 osk question OF supreme i'm
portancs to US sll:t"For Whist 10 your
lie ~ The suswer to no question is o.
such moment to you and me es the right
snswer to this question. l msy know
why earths revoiye and the tides Of ocean
ehb and flow, tho properties OF heat ant
electricity, the nature OF light and sound
I may, as scientific inquiry adv noes ant
Nature is forced to give up her secrets ont
after another taunt, the rodcent damo with
the fact that a thousand secrets she
thought never to yield to mortal eye have
been laid bare by the sudscious and rest
less mind Of man. Bat il alter sill this ]
fail to ASCERTAIN tho purpose for which ]
AN in this world, l have m;Gsed tho an
sEer Otto me, at least-the a%il-importanI
question.
Furthermore, I must not only know the
object for which l live, but the way to &C,
complish that object. 1t is doubtless well
for the glory of God, the harmony and
order OF the universe and Tor the general
good, that all thinGa accomplish tho end
for which they wsro made; but all this
will avail me little If l iail to learn and &C.
coupiish the purpose Of my being. So
there rises before us for consideration the
question, "For what 10 thy lite ?" Shall
We be able to answer this question before
which all others must tRde and pale? To
stop to argue that there Is 3 purpose in out
creation would be o waste oftime and 90
insult 10 your Intelligence. Search as you
will through nature, animate aud mani.
mate, and you will fail to find a single
thing filing @ purpccc unworthy OF ia
bsing, unless it ia q man or m angel,
Strange IS it 10. it is only q being endowed
with reason, intellect and will that can
servo n purpose unworthy OF itg Msturo.
Man may 10 m angel; he has bsen known
to become 0 devil. II ali beings having q
mornI charaoler had from the beginning
fulfilled the purpose for which they were
made, what i different world this would
BET
4 CONTRAST.
Tho physical universe presents nothing
but harmony, while tho moral world,
viewed in connection With this life, shows
q aceue OF conflict aud tumult. Tho old
heather explained this difference by as.
cribing the two parts Of the universe to
two gods-the god OF tho physical uni
yerae q being Of perfect harmony
the god Of the moral universe q monster
Of irreconcilable antagouiOm. They were
at fault. Mind and matter arc alike the
creations OF one God. The jarling OF the
moral world 10 tho effect OF mans failing
to accomplish the object for which no haB
bsen called into being.
No fndolent peraon; no perGon whose
Rssocinteu arc hurttni; mono who yield to
the spirit OF discomfort; none Thp makp
personal caao and Comfort their ghsoi CoG.
cern-will ever fulfill the purpose for
which life ia given.
On theae points Mr.. Hite dwelt ut uome
length, and eloquently. SlothIulnoss and
evil associations were spoken Of IA ruin
GUS. Pernicious literature aiso received
come attention:
"Mlany have become infatuated to much
on extent by the charm Of fictitious liiera.
ture no to loao all taste for Uound reading;
and just horo 10 tho danger. We're 1t the
beat and pureet specimen Of fiction tho
case you'd not be 80 bad, but unlortu.
nalely we know TO tho contrary, The
fiber and tone OF the mind becomes cn-
and vitiated as quickly by feeding
It upon the literature OF BtGkly sentiment
as the tono and fiber OF tue body does by
upon dlsoased md innutritions
food. | know persons who have utterly
lacapacilated thomselves Tor uuch reading
0s requires close attention and the con-
slant exercise OF tho full Btrength OF @
yound mind. a book is not necessarily
bad because It 10 q book Of fiction, nor
good because 1t 10 q book o! iact. | mn
not gufpriscd that people do not caro- to
read certain books which proiesB to deal
In iaets, for the epno reaaon TINT nm
not uurpriaed that they do not caro- to
|iaton to o certain kind OF preaching, not
lcarco in these days. II tho writors 81
,uoh bookH writo them IS q remedy for In.
lhpy ought TO bs entirely satlefied
With tho nucccua achieved. l do not I'D.
you 10 read only fact. | adyiso You
o road q foW works Of standard wrftera OF
lotion, not only as a relaxation for tho
mind. but ma an indlhnpnRnlle mart OF